March 1 - Search Me - Know Me

Search Me - Know Me

by Brian Groe

Scripture: Psalm 139

Key Verse:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24

Sometimes reading the Psalms makes me smile.  In several of the Psalms, between one phrase and the next David goes from "Smite them, O Lord!" to "Search me, O God!"  This Psalm is a good example of this type of emotional yo-yo. 

How precious are Your thoughts toward me, O God ... (verse 17)

O God, if only You would destroy the wicked ... (verse 19)

Yes, I hate them with total hatred ... (verse 22)

Search me, O God, and know my heart ... (verse 23).  

CS Lewis in Reflections on the Psalms says:

It is monstrously simple-minded to read the cursings in the Psalms with no feeling except one of horror at the uncharity of the poets. They are indeed devilish. But we must also think of those who made them so. Their hatreds are the reaction to something. Such hatreds are the kind of thing that cruelty and injustice, by a sort of natural law, produce.

One of the things that draws us to the Psalms is the raw emotion that David expresses.  Normally our church going is so constrained that once in a while we want to feel the extreme joy that made David dance before the Lord, or the awe at God's greatness that caused David to fall on his face before the Lord.  We don't expect to have it all thrown at us in the span of one Psalm!

This Psalm is also interesting because of the tension that exists between the opening of this Psalm and the conclusion.  David starts this Psalm by saying that the Lord has examined my heart and knows everything about me. He then spends the next 18 verses contemplating all the various ways that God already knows him.

You know when I stand, and when I sit.  You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.  You know the words I'm going to say even before I say them. 

Where can I go to escape Your presence?  If I ride the wings of the dawn, You are there.  If I go to the depths of the sea, You are there!  Even in darkness I cannot hide from You for the darkness is light for you.

You saw me before I was formed.  You knit me together in my mother's womb.  You have seen my unformed being.  

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!

I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

Yet we get to verse 23 and David is pleading: Search me, O God, and know my heart.  Test me and know my anxious thought!  Doesn't God already know?  Hasn't David already acknowledged that God knows him inside and out?  

Michelangelo - Sistene Chapel Fresco
God straining to reach out to Adam.
Adam casually reaching back to God.

It is one thing to know that God exists, and acknowledge that God knows me.  Paul says in Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. In the first section of this Psalm, David is acknowledging who God is.  

It is another thing entirely to know God.  Not just know who He is, but have a relationship with Him.  David is demonstrating this here.  He knows who God is, and what God does.  Finally in verse 23 David throws the door of his heart open to God, and says that he wants to know God as God knows all about him.  Lead me along the path of eternal life.  David wants to walk with God the paths of eternal life.  

Many authors say that this is what Jesus meant in the Beatitudes when He said "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."  Being pure in heart means that I am walking honestly with God, admitting my failings, my sinfulness, my nature while recognizing that God knows everything about me already.  Consciously and purposely opening myself up to God without any hint of hiding.  Taking God's hand as He leads me in paths of righteousness that will lead to eternal life.  

Even a cursory reading of the Psalms will show that for David this was not a "once-for-all" decision that he made.  Instead we see in many of the Psalms that David makes a similar decision to turn to God over and over again (see for example Psalm 22, 25 and 51).  How many times do I need to turn from my sinful and prideful ways, and invite God into my life to forgive, heal and guide me back to His ways?   How thankful I am that God always hears my plea, and has mercy on me.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Amen

This is a beautiful piece by Samuel Barber called Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).  The text is in Latin so I have included the translation of the lyrics:

Latin                                            English 

Agnus Dei                                    The Lamb of God

Agnus Dei,                                   The Lamb of God,

Qui tollis peccata mundi,             Who took the sins of the world,

Miserere nobis.                             Have mercy upon us.

 

Agnus Dei,                                    The Lamb of God,

Qui tollis peccata mundi,              Who took the sins of the world,

Miserere nobis.                              Have mercy upon us.

 

Agnus Dei,                                    The Lamb of God,

Qui tollis peccata mundi,              Who took the sins of the world,

Dona nobis pacem.                        Grant us peace.

 

Feb 22 - Ash Wednesday

What is Lent?

by Lori Wheeler

Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.  Matthew 4:1-2

As we prepare to observe Lent as a body of believers, we are once again going to be publishing a series of Devotions written by several people from within our church. At Christmas, we had the opportunity to learn so much about God’s Word and how He can speak through others during their times of meditation on His Word. Preparing for Lent and getting the most out of this special time gives us an opportunity to experience an even deeper love for God. As with Advent, it is important that we understand what Lent truly is. How does it apply to our lives, and ultimately deepen our relationship with Him?

First- let's begin with what Lent actually is. As United Methodists, we believe that Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days, excluding Sundays, ending on Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is the day before Easter.

It is possible to look up creative ways to observe Lent, but as you begin to truly meditate on how you can purposefully observe this time, I want to encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. During meditation on His Word and your personal prayer time, God will begin to reveal the potential for a deeper connection with Him. How CAN we self-examine and reflect? Do we really want to? Can we look closely at repentance? Repentance for what? Can we choose something truly difficult to fast for 40 days? Can we lean on Him to control maybe anger, addiction, time management, relationship battles...? And- what keeps us from spending quiet time reading His Word? What if...what if when we do, He begins to speak to our hearts truths that may seem difficult? Looking at the things that separate us from God or keep us from spending time with Him are very personal, and that’s why it’s important for us to truly seek Him and His will as we prepare for Lent; rather than entering into this season reluctantly or half-heartedly, we should allow Him to show us things we can give up that truly will allow us to reflect and that will deepen our relationship with Him.

Some will tell you to do something extra or take on something extra during Lent like feeding or helping others, scheduling time to visit shut-ins, increasing your tithes, practicing kindness, and every one of those things are truly Godly things to do, but I would like to challenge you to do those things in addition to a true fast. Because I truly believe that there is something each and every one of us can abstain from that will draw us closer to God, something that will allow us to look to Him for strength and decrease the things that keep us from spending quality time with Him. After all, that’s what Jesus did in Matthew 4.

In the beginning of Matthew 4, the first 11 verses, Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. As I began reading and studying these verses to prepare for this devotion, my first question was, why was Jesus in the wilderness? He had just been baptized and His Father’s voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present, all at one time. And then the Scripture says that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for a period of 40 days and 40 nights. It then says He was hungry. Hunger can often be a desire for much more than food. We can also hunger for control, power, “things”, position, and so much more. We are told that the devil tempted Jesus by appealing to his physical hunger but also to his position and faith, and what he mistakenly projected onto Jesus, a potential human desire for power and control. Satan twisted God’s words to appeal to Jesus, but Jesus continued to remain obedient to His heavenly Father. Jesus listened but didn’t entertain the offerings of the enemy. He resisted the devil and used God’s words to send him fleeing. He chose His words so carefully, but so did the enemy. The enemy was so careful to try to choose offerings that would appeal to the human ego, but Jesus chose words that would emphasize the truths of God. When I’m faced with temptation, I want to be able to respond as Jesus did, but I can only emphasize the truths of God if I know them, and the season of Lent offers the perfect opportunity for growing in that area.  

The Temptations of Christ

 So why did Jesus retreat to the wilderness? He was led by the Spirit to do so. He had had an encounter with His Father in one of the rarest moments recorded of the Trinity as One. A moment when God himself spoke, “with him I am well pleased.” A moment of perfection shortly before Jesus was to begin His ministry and begin to call others in to prepare for what we celebrate as Easter. And as I opened His Word to meditate for this devotion, He truly illuminated this text and that brought with it such a deep desire to serve better, to study with purpose, to seek His presence even more, and to glean His will in my life. This year, I feel He is calling me to a wilderness encounter of sorts, to separate myself from other distractions and intentionally set aside time just for God, and possibly even a battle with those things that I know are preventing me from being a more purposeful and prepared vessel that can lean on God to go through times of struggle.  If these verses don’t speak to anyone else, they certainly spoke to me. Deciding whether to participate in Lent, for the right reasons, is so important, and I think He really showed that to me during my meditations. It is not something to take lightly or choose something that really isn’t a challenge to commit to. For me this year, I feel convicted to choose in a way that will not only free up time to spend with God, but to have a need for Him to help me stay true to that commitment as I repent, self-examine and reflect.

Will you join me?

Blessings.

We hope that you enjoy the following selection titled New Wine by  Brooke Ligertwood

Feb 15 - A Note From the Administrator

Holiday Devotional Blog

By Brian Groe - Site Administrator

We received such a wonderful response from our Advent Blog that the church staff has decided to do something similar for Lent.  (You could say that we are a victim of our own success!)  

Next Wednesday, February 22 is Ash Wednesday which begins the 40 day celebration of Lent.  Unlike Advent (which is 28 days) we are not going to try to do a devotion every day of Lent.  Instead we will have a devotion each week on Wednesday.  Then during Holy Week (from Palm Sunday, April 2 until Easter Sunday on April 9) there will be a devotion each day.  Once again Bambi Wheeler is coordinating members of our church to submit the devotions over the next few weeks.

We will use the same blogspot address with associated email list (fumc-wp-advent.blogspot.com/).  So when you see the term Advent in the name, just think Holy Holiday Season instead.  If you do not wish to receive these emails, there is a way to unsubscribe at the bottom of the email.

The format of the devotion will remain very similar.  Either the author or I will include artwork appropriate to the theme of the devotion. 

The Sacrificial Lamb by Josefa de Ayala (ca 1670-1684)

There will also be some type of musical selection included with each devotion.  As an example I have included a link to the Brahms How Lovely is Thy Dwelling for your enjoyment.

We hope that you will enjoy these Lent Devotions.  If you would like to volunteer to do a devotion, please contact Bambi at the church office.  

Sincerely - Brian